Someone definitively got back from Paris... That's the nice part of going to Paris for two days only: you are frustrated, can't see everybody, miss the ones you couldn't see even more when you are back in the Desert, run a lot, but between two meetings, you can make a touch and go at Laduree and bring back a few Goodies to the Sandpit...

You are all invited...

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Cookies stamped with edible Ink, incredibly sophisticated.

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Sunday Sound

"Can't help lovin'dat Man" by Ava Gardner - 1951

Back in Dubai and it's Extravagance!

My Neighbors are hosting a Party... just an intimate get together.

As my Sister would put it: "Rain of Stars in my Room".

Yesterday I was at the Opera Bastille to see my Pie perform in Faust. I got to the the whole Show from the Backstage! It was the last Performance and I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to see it!

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I am back in Paris for a few Days! And of course I couldn't resist going straight to Montmartre! I had an amazing evening with my Pie, G., she is a beautiful talented and successful Actress, and one of the happiest people on Earth, she is my Pie! Dinner with French Wine in Montmartre with Friends, this is Heaven!

Dubai is getting ready for Halloween...

... and Christmas!

Sunday Sound

"Music in my Heart" by Rita Hayworth - 1940

Last Wednesday, the Galleries in DIFC had an Art Night! A lovely way to get together with Friends, have a Drink at discover new Artists... This Art Night happens once a month during Winter Months in DIFC, I will let you know when the next one is.

A big thought to one of my dearest who is off hunting in Scotland...

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Oh the lovely WallPaper! I love the cosy Ambiance that WallPaper creates...

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I made a Lemon Drizzle to celebrate. I used the Hummingbird Bakery's Recipe, and it is to die for. Not as healthy as Harry's Cakes but hey, I am not going to celebrate one year of blogging everyday, am I?

Email me for the Recipe.

"A Hint of Beautiful" is one year old today! Thank you to my Readers worldwide, I have loved sharing my Travels, Finds and Surprises with you, get ready for an other year!

If there is something that you would like to see more on the Blog, please let me know. I usually play it by ear but I would love to hear your thoughts. Bises a tous!

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Boat Shoes anyone?

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Could not resist.

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Just saying...

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Made some Lavender Shortbreads! Perfect for Tea Time.

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Bows for Ever.

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I wish I had more Time to read, but it seems that I lately developed a new Pattern: falling asleep in Cars. Yes Ladies and Gentlemen, I, who was very well acquainted with Insomnia, have this new thing of falling asleep in every Car I sit my little bum in after 6pm. I miss reading!... Well in fact, I miss Evenings, as I am not seeing a lot of them these days.

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Unforgettable Jackie...

First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy with spectators at the Piedmont Foxhounds Races in Upperville, Virginia, 1961.

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Getting ready for a Preppy, Rainy and Colourful Autumn!

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This week-end, I discovered the DOBC (Dubai Offshore Boat Club), a few friends were racing so I took Leonie (my bicycle, for those who are new here), and joined them for a drink as they came back on shore. I loved tha ambiance, Boat Clubs have the same cheerful and chilled ambiance pretty much all over the world. We had Dinner there and bumped into the most amusing Machine: a Can Crusher made of bits and pieces. I am not a huge Beer Drinker, but this Machine was a marvel. It looked that it could have been hundreds of years old when in fact it had been finished a few months earlier. It took the inventor 300 hours to build it, impressive!

Sunday Sound

"Cow Cow Boogie" by Ella Mae Morse - 1942

And last but not least: the Drink I can never say no to, Champagne... And my favorite Snack, Dark Chocolate. I am a lucky Lady!

Stilton, Gentleman's Relish and Mini Tabasco Bottle... Brunch is served! Although I have a Confession to make: the Parisian that I am has absolutly no Idea of how to eat Cheese out of a Pot and how to serve Gentleman's Relish.

I will happily welcome any Advice!

I made "Langues de Chat", literally "Cat's Tongues", this is how these little biscuits are called in french because of their shape. They are traditional Petits Four we usually have with Tea, Fruit Compote or Chocolate Mousse. I find that it is tricky to get something to your Host when invited to a Dinner here in Dubai: you don't always have a Bottle of Wine, Flowers are ridiculously expensive, so the last option you have is Chocolate. But what happens when you've been at Marcel and Imogene twice, and already got them Ferrero Rochers and After Midnights? What's left?
So I decided to make Pastries, and these are perfect : home-made and very french.

Email me for the Recipe.

Be bold: mix Dots and Colour.

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I LOVE Fortnum and Mason Biscuits Boxes, they have a Vintage Touch and are Colourful in the mean Time. The Biscuits are delicious, and the Boxes a real Treat. They are perfect for the Kitchen, I like to keep them and fill them up with Coffee, Tea Bags, Sugar...

And what about that English Ginger Gentleman? Isn't he adorable with his Umbrella?

Jeeves and Wooster 's Pendant Lights. I love, collect and cherish Vintage Hats, and Jeeves and Wooster are my feel-good telly show, so you can easily imagine why and how much I fell for these!

Clich here to learn more about them.

There will always be an England...
Lavender Honey and Raspberry Jam, Breakfast suddenly becomes exciting!

Last week I got a Visit from Santa Claus's younger and good looking Brother... seems like he was somewhere around England lately and stopped at Fortnum and Mason!

Sunday Sound

"He 1-A in the Army and A-1 in my Heart" - 1941

How my parisian Hairdresser saved my Hair...

If you live abroad, and by abroad, I mean out of Europe, I am sure you noticed that the quality of the Water was different from one Country to an other. I don't know exactly why, but here in Dubai, the Water tends to dry up your Skin and Hair. I am the kind of Lady who can easily forget to put on Body Lotion, because my Skin rarely feels like it needs it in Europe, but both my Skin and Hair felt very dry right from the first week I spent here. It took me a while to understand why my Body felt so thirsty, and some day I remembered something my parisian Hairdresser told me: "Careful when you go to Dubai, the Water is different so try to rince your Hair with a Glass of drinkable Water at the end of your Shower, it will take away the chemicals that would dry up your Hair otherwise". I have been doing that for a few Weeks and... Welcome back healthy Hair! Thank you so much Loubna!

Drawing by the lovely Garance Dore.

Remember I was telling how cooking in a new country needs a lot of adjustments? Well thanks to a french Gentleman working in the Food Processing Industry, I finally understood why I was struggling so much with my Pastries! It is all about the Flour. I used local Flour which, in fact, is imported from China, and it seems that the Gluten over there is, in some way, different from the one we have in Europe. That explained why all my Cakes ended up looking like Flans, no matter how much Baking Powder I put in them.

So I switched to english Flour (hello Spinneys!), everything went back to normal. It was that simple!

Now that I can bake again, let me show you my last Try: Pistachio Pops! Healthy, tasty and Cheerful little Drops!